14 And now, my brethren, do
ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in
these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.
15 O that he would show you
that he can pierce you, and with one glance of his eye he can smite you to the
dust!
16 O that he would rid you
from this iniquity and abomination. And,
O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of
your hearts destroy your souls!
17 Think of your brethren
like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance,
that they may be rich like unto you.
18 But before ye seek for
riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
Having
pointed out the people’s desires for riches and costly apparel, while ignoring
the poor, Jacob asks “do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this
thing?” Jacob tells them no, they are
not justified. In fact, if things don’t
change, the judgments of God will come upon them.
The
Lord, Jacob tells them, can pierce them and, with a glance, smite them to the
dust. Jacob tells them he wished the
Lord would rid them of this sin and prevent pride from destroying the hearts.
He
calls upon them to stop thinking they are superior, but to think that their
brethren are like them. Be free with
your wealth, he says, “that they may be like rich like unto you.”
There
was one time in Nephite history where all were treated as equals. That was for about 200 years after Christ
visited the Nephites. “And they had all
things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and
free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift” (4 Nephi
1:3).
With
the exception to the 200 years after the visit of Christ, Nephite religious
leaders constantly fought this battle.
Alma2 gave up the chief judge’s seat to deal with the
wickedness among the Nephites. A
situation similar to this was a part of his decision to give up the judgment
seat. “Yea, he saw great inequality
among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising
others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were
hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted”
(Alma 4:12).
He
asked the people of Zarahemla, “Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs
upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?”
(Alma 5:55).
Hugh
Nibley explains the problem with inequality among the people.
“[T]here
are certain guidelines to what is a good society, though mostly given in
negative terms-those who keep the ten commandments are praiseworthy for what
they do not do. Jacob gives us some rules: ‘Think of your brethren
like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance,
that they may be rich like unto you’ (Jacob 2:17) – it is not the wealth but
the inequality that does the damage.”[1]
“It
is inequality that the prophets deplore throughout the Book of Mormon; pride
stands at the head of every one of those many lists of crimes that beset the
society. Above all, this reverence for wealth will not do, Jacob tells the
people; do they have any idea how contemptible this thing is to God's sight? If
they value his opinion, they will not set up their own artificial scale of values
(see Jacob 2:16). There is nothing wrong with having plenty, but let's all
be rich! ‘Be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be
rich like unto you’ (Jacob 2:17).”[2]
Lindon
Robinson further observes:
“Early
on, the Lord commanded Jacob, brother of Nephi, to call his people to
repentance. They needed to repent because many had begun to search for gold and
precious ores, and after acquiring more than their neighbors, some Nephites
supposed their inequality was evidence that they ‘were better than’ those with
less (Jacob 2:12–13). Jacob commanded them to abandon their love of riches that
caused significant separations and inequalities among them: ‘Think of your
brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your
substance, that they may be rich like unto you’ (Jacob 2:17).”[3]
The
problem with the people is that they seek riches and ignore Christ. Before seeking riches, Jacob said, “seek ye
for the kingdom of God.”
Seeking
first the Kingdom of God is not easy.
Remember the nobleman who came to Christ, asking what he must do.
“Then
Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go
thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
“And
he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
“And
Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
“And
the disciples were astonished at his words.
But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it
for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:21-24).
Nephi
warned us, “But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for
money they shall perish” (2 Nephi 26:31).
Alma2 warned Corianton, “Seek not after riches nor the vain
things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you” (Alma 39:14). Christ taught, “[JST Luke 12:34 Therefore seek ye to bring forth] the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be
added unto you” (Luke 12:31).
Hugh
Nibley shares the lesson we should learn from Jacob’s words. “[T]he plain lesson of the injunction is to seek
the kingdom of God first of all. And how do we build up the kingdom of God and
establish Zion? By observing and keeping the law of consecration.”[4]
[1]
Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell
Institute.
[2]
Scriptural Perspectives on How to Survive the Calamities of the Last Days, Hugh
Nibley, Maxwell Institute.
[3]
"No Poor Among Them", Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute.
[4]
The Book of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute.
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